Induced hydraulic fracturing or “fracking” is one method for recovering petroleum or other hydrocarbons from subterranean rock formations. Petroleum wells that utilize the fracking process may include a tank or “day tank” for temporarily storing the recovered petroleum. Once the tank reaches its maximum capacity, it is transported to a staging site, usually by tractor trailer, where the contents of the tank are transferred to a tanker rail car. In the alternative, the petroleum from the tank may be emptied into a tanker truck and transported to the staging site where the contents are transferred from the tanker truck to the rail car. The process of transferring the contents of the tank and/or the tanker truck to the rail car is commonly referred to as transloading.
Typically, the staging sites are located along remote rail spurs where the rail tanker cars are parked until filled and/or until a pre-scheduled pick up date. In many instances, the rail spurs are located along isolated sections of the rail road tracks and are only intended for temporary use until the supply of locally sourced petroleum is exhausted. Thus, many of the staging sites lack infrastructure (such as pipelines, electric power, pumping stations, etc.) adequate for supporting the transloading process. As a result, portable transloaders are required at these isolated staging sites.
Existing portable transloading devices generally require electrical power to drive pumps that transfer the petroleum from the tank to the rail car and to operate the metering devices to measure the volume of the petroleum transferred. However, many of the staging sites lack a source of electrical power to drive the pumps and metering devices that are required for transloading and measuring the transloaded petroleum.
In addition, some of the portable transloading devices include electrically or hydraulically controlled ladders and/or platforms that allow for access to the top portion of the rail car. Typically, the electrical power for such devices is provided by a portable power source such as a generator. However, portable electric generators require fuel to operate their engines, which are subject to mechanical failure at these remote sites. Getting fuel to these remote sites is problematical, as is storage of such fuel at such sites. In most cases, the electric generator is located onboard the portable transloading device, thereby adding weight and impacting maneuverability of the portable transloading device by the operator within the often times tight confines of the transloading site. As a result, transloading operations using existing portable transloading devices in these isolated areas are limited.